Senmō
by HazelEyesIsOut1234
Summary: While under the effects of an alien fever, Shiro dreams of another time when he was sick. Confused and ill, he cries out for the only person he thinks can aid him- his mother. (A moment of Shiro bonding with the paladins stemming from him being sick, and a look into his thoughts. Two-shot.)
1. The Dreaming

**Disclaimer: _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ belongs to Dreamworks and Netflix. **

**I jumped on the Sickfic bandwagon! I don't think anyone's done something like this before, so I hope it's well received!**

 **Headcanons ahead! Be warned! Reading my _10 Truths About Shiro_ one-shot before this may help! (Also, tell me if I should leave in the dividers. I'm not sure about them.) **

* * *

"Shiro? Shiro!"

* * *

 _Shiro..._

 _... Shiro..._

 _... Takashi..._

 _... Takashi..._

 _...Takashi feels hot._

 _He knows this can't be right. It's the middle of winter, so if anything he should feel cold, right? Isn't that how it works?_

 _He then realizes he's cold too- his skin is boiling, but his insides feel frozen. He's hot and cold at the exact same time, and it's so unpleasant he wants to squirm._

 _Despite his discomfort, he knows he can't remain in bed. Today his science class is starting a unit on the solar system. He's been waiting for this all year and he doesn't want to miss it. He knows it'll help him travel in outer space when he's grown up._

 _He_ can't _miss this._

 _"Gotta get up," he murmurs to himself. "Gonna be late."_

* * *

"No- no, stay put."

"Work with us here, buddy. You can't get up right now."

* * *

 _He tries to get up but finds himself unable to. He surrenders after a few doboshes and instead curls up in his quilt as a bout of shivering overtakes him._

 _"Takashi?"_

 _Takashi blinks blearily and slowly faces his head towards his bedroom door. His mother is standing there, her eyes filled with concern._

 _She enters the room and sits at the foot of the bed, leaning over him. Her long black hair is loose over her shoulders, and she's wearing the blue kimono Chichi-ue bought for her during one of their family trips to Japan. She smells spicy and warm, and immediately he feels a little better._

 _"Ryou told me you weren't up yet," she tells him. "What's wrong, baby?"_

 _"'s hot," he mutters. "'n cold. 'dn like it."_

* * *

"We know, Shiro. Just hang in there."

"Are we _sure_ the cryo-pods won't work?"

"They're meant for physical injuries only, I'm afraid. They can prevent an illness from getting worse, but not cure it."

* * *

 _Mother frowns, then reaches down and places her soft hand against his forehead. It's positively icy against his burning skin, and this time he does squirm._

 _"You have a fever," she observes. "It figures- with this weather and the amount of time you spend outside, you were bound to catch something."_

 _He likes going outside- there's always something new to discover or to play with. Just yesterday he spent the entire day with Ryou, playing "Ice Monsters From Pluto." Takashi made it up himself._

 _"I'll get the thermometer, but I think you're staying home today, baby," Mother says._

 _"Noooo," Takashi groans. "'nna go to school. C'mon, haha-ue..."_

* * *

"... Did he just say he wants to go to _school_?"

"Great, delirium's setting in."

"What's he laughing about? Was that a laugh? I mean, 'haha,' that's laughing, right?"

* * *

 _His mother laughs and runs her fingers through his hair. "I think you are the only kid I know who'd be upset about_ not _going to school. And I told you, you can just call me Mommy. Haha-ue is so formal. I wish your grandma hadn't taught you that."_

 _"Haha-ue," he says insistently. "Haha-ue."_

 _"I'm right here, my noble boy," she assures him. She bends down and kisses his forehead. "I'll check on your brother then go get the thermometer. In the meantime, get some rest. Okay, Takashi?"_

 _Takashi still doesn't want to miss school, but he nods as best he can. "'kay. Love you, haha-ue."_

* * *

"..."

* * *

 _His mother smiles and cradles his cheek. "I love you too."_

 _She decides to stay for a bit, stroking his hair and humming an old lullaby to him. She giggles fondly when Takashi leans into her touch._

 _Once she deems him properly soothed, she gets up from the bed, closes the curtains, and walks over the bedside table- on it is Takashi's Galaxy Garrison Star Projector. C_ _hichi-ue_ _bought it for him during a trip to the planetarium. His mother flips it on and his ceiling is covered in a myriad of stars and nebula._

 _Takashi usually loves watching the projection, but something about it today seems... lackluster. He gets the feeling he's seen better and he has no idea why._

 _Meanwhile, Haha-ue gives him one last smile from the doorway._

 _"Here are your stars. You might have to skip class today, but I have no doubt you'll still get to see the real thing up close someday. Rest up, baby."_

 _With that, she shuts off the overhead light, leaves the room, and closes the door. Takashi is alone. He keeps expecting her to return as promised, but she doesn't. His bedroom begins to fade away into purple-tinted darkness and if that isn't bad enough, the heat he's feeling is increasing to unbearable levels._

 _He's scared- what's happening? Why isn't he in bed anymore? He's supposed to stay in bed, his mother wanted him to! His mother..._

 _His mother..._

 _His mother..._

 _His mother died when he was sixteen._

 _Takashi remembers... she got sick and didn't get better- he almost left the Garrison but stayed when he remembered how much she supported his dream._

 _She's dead, but if that's the case, how had she been in his room? No, this can't be right. Where is his mother? Where_ is _she?!_

 _"Haha-ue! Haha-ue! It's hot! Haha-ue!"_

* * *

"Quiznak!"

"Hold him still!"

"Someone get his arm!"

"Don't hurt him!"

"Tell _him_ that in regards to _us_!"

"It's not his fault! Quick, does anyone know _who_ or _what_ a _haha-ue_ is?!"

"We don't have time for that! Shiro's temperature is spiking! We need to cool him down, _now_!"

"Here, Number Five, use this! It should be compatible with your human biology!"

"We'll take what we can get! Pidge, do it!"

"On it! Hold on, Shiro!"

* * *

 _If his skin is the surface of the sun, then his insides are the center of a black hole- impossibly cold and heavily pressured. And it's dark, so dark that he can't tell if it's_ actually _dark or he has gone blind._

 _It's too much,_ _far too much. It's_ been _too much for a very long time._

\- searing pain as the brand his back-

-he's tired, so tired but Myzax's not done-

-his arm is _fine_ , what are they-

 _No! No no no no no no no no_ _no no no no no no no! He's not there, he not! He's not there, but he doesn't know what this darkness is either, and somehow that's even_ worse _._

 _It's just..._

 _...It's just TOO MUCH!_

 _It's dark and he's hot and he's cold and he doesn't know where he is and he wants his mother!_

 _-_ blood, it's everywhere, he can taste it-

-they're _children_ , what was he-

-he's not a monster, he's _not_ a-

 _"HAHA-UE!" Takashi screeches, running through the darkness as if it were that easy to escape- to escape his past, the truth, whatever. It wasn't happening._

* * *

"He's seizing!"

"Damn it, Coran, you said-!"

"It's needs a moment to work!"

"He doesn't _have_ a moment!"

"Come on, Shiro, stay with us!"

* * *

 _The child trips and falls to the unseen ground, tears streaming down his cheeks._

 _He wants Mother to make it all go away, like she always does! When she's not there, that's when things fall apart. It's why Father threw himself into his work, its why he and Ryou had their dumb fight, it's all because_ she _left!_

 _He..._

 _He's ..._

 _He's so damn tired and he wants to_ rest _. He's wants to not be alone anymore. It's been so long- he wants his mother to lay by his side and card her fingers through his hair and sing to him and make him leek soup and watch cartoons with him and play with him and Ryou..._

 _... He wants to be on the Castleship and train with Keith and eat one of Hunk's meals and shares Holt stories with Pidge and groan when Lance makes a terrible joke and listen to Coran's energetic lectures and converse with Allura about how freaking hard it is to lead..._

 _Little Takashi lays on his side and curls in on himself, hugging his legs to his chest and sobbing._

 _He just wants to go home._

 _He just wants Haha-ue._

 _He just wants to get out the darkness, heat, and cold._

 _He just wants to see his friends._

 ** _Paladin._**

 _He... wait, what?_

* * *

"Wait, hold on... he's stabilizing!"

"Is the medicine working?"

"I think his fever's starting to go down!"

* * *

 _At the sound of the deep, almost purring voice, Shiro's eyes shoot open._

 _It takes him a moment to recognize it, but when he does he jumps to his feet and looks around frantically._

 _"... Black?" he calls out with caution._

 _ **My Paladin**. _

_The confirmation causes all the stress to bleed from Shiro's body. Black was here, he wasn't alone in the dark. He doesn't even feel hot or cold anymore._

 _"Black, I..." he trails off._

 _ **Rest, My Paladin. All will be well.**_

 _"But I-"_

 ** _Rest. Even leaders miss their families. Yours is waiting for you_** _ **.**_

 _Shiro's mind is filled with flashes of Keith, Pidge, Lance, Hunk, the space mice, Allura, Coran, and all five Lions._

 _Seeing Keith again after crashing on Earth. Finding the Green Lion with Pidge. Mealtimes with Hunk. Chatting with Lance about the Garrison. Infiltrating the Galra ship with Allura. Training with Coran. Forming Voltron for the first time. And so much more._

 _He's laughing with them, fighting with them,_ being _with them. They break through the black void that threatens to consume him and leave only light. He can't remember the the last time he's felt like this, but it's here now._

 _It's_ freaking _wonderful._

 _"Black," he says. "Thank you,"_

 ** _Rest._**

 _Shiro closes his eyes._

 ** _Rest._**

 _He does._

* * *

"His temperature's back to human norms. He'll need to be kept on the medicine for a few quintants, but we're out of the danger zone."

"So he's gonna be okay?!

"Aw, thank goodness! I don't think my nerves can take that kind of stress again!"

"Shiro, you're gonna pay for worrying us like this, you jerk!"

"..."

"Enough of that, paladins! Come, let's let him rest."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Good night, Shiro."

* * *

 **Next time: Shiro awakens and much talking occurs.**


	2. The Awakening

**Disclaimer: _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ belongs to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

* * *

It's hard, given every part of his body feels as if it's made of lead, but Shiro is finally able to open his eyes. He does so to find that he's laying in his bunk in his room and wearing his black Altean pajama. Allura, the space mice, and the paladins are surrounding him like a scene out of _The Wizard of Oz_.

"Shiro?" Keith asks tentatively, which is completely unlike him. "You awake for real?"

He blinks, then raises an eyebrow and rasps, "...What do you mean 'for real?'"

A simultaneous sigh of relief rang throughout the room. The space mice crawl down Allura's arm, onto his chest, and up to his face where they start nuzzling him happily. Hunk and Pidge even fall to their knees, as if Shiro's response has ripped away whatever had been keeping them upright.

(In the back of his skull he hears the Black Lion rumbling comfortingly, which he appreciates more than he can describe.)

"Welcome back to the Land of the Fully Coherent, boss man," Lance says with a tired salute. "We've missed you."

" _Really_ missed you," Hunk stresses. "You were seriously starting to freak us out! Don't _ever_ do that again!"

Shiro frowns. He gets the distinct notion that he's missed something. Thankfully, he's not left out of the loop for long as the others notice his confused expression.

"Shiro, how much do you remember about what happened?" Allura asks as the mice return to her shoulder.

Shiro thinks back and responds. "We... liberated a Galra prison on a moon. It was easy- we didn't even have to form Voltron. I remember coming back to the castle, and feeling kind of achey. Then... nothing."

"'Nothing' was an alien virus called Magmel Fever. It makes those it infects experience a sudden, extreme fever along with vivid delirium," Pidge says, standing and pulling up the monitor reading his vitals, which is positioned near his bed. "Coran's in the med bay whipping up more medicine for you right now. He thinks you caught the fever from one of the prisoners."

Shiro's eyes widen. He recalls escorting a group of prisoners out of range of Galra laser fire, and aiding one who stumbled. They had coughed a slick slime into his face on accident.

That figures.

"You came to breakfast the next morning totally out of it," Pidge continues. "You barely ate anything and declared you were going back to bed. Keith went to go check on you and found you passed out in the hall."

 _"Shiro? Shiro!"_

Shiro turns to Keith, who is kneeling directly at his side. He still has a perturbed expression his face, like he expects the Black Paladin to shatter if he takes his eyes off him.

"Sorry, buddy," he apologizes. "I didn't mean to give you a scare."

Keith opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by Lance.

"You gave us _all_ a scare!" Lance yells. "You were practically roasting in your own skin, you started having a seizure right after Pidge gave you the medicine, you flailed around and holding you down was _not_ fun, you almost _died_ , and don't get me started on the _crazy talk-_!"

"Crazy talk?" Shiro interrupts. His leader instincts are demanding that he focus on the bit where _he almost died_ , but that last part snags his attention more.

Lance snaps his mouth shut and immediately looks ashamed. Pidge, Allura, and Hunk shoot him identical dirty looks.

"Dude, we all agreed we weren't gonna tell him," Hunk whispers loudly.

" _I_ agreed to nothing," Keith breaks in, annoyed. "We're telling him."

Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Allura all appear unsure.

"Guys _,_ " Shiro says in a stern tone. "Does this 'crazy talk' have anything to do with the delirium Pidge mentioned and Lance's 'fully coherent' comment?"

Allura coughed uneasily to her hand before standing curtain-rod straight. "Uh, yes. You see, Shiro, as Pidge said the fever causes its victims to experience incredibly intense delirium. After we got you to the infirmary, you regained a minuscule degree of consciousness, but you were not aware of where you were or who _we_ were."

Shiro can see where this is going. "I started talking in a fever-induced stupor."

"Yes."

"Did I say anything weird?"

"Kind of?" Hunk replies. "A lot of it was unintelligible. What we _could_ understand was you complaining about it being hot and _not_ being able to go to school."

"Which is _crazy_ no matter how you spin it," Lance adds.

That's... not that bad, actually. Shiro knows for sure he's said truly embarrassing things while under the influence of alcohol or anesthetic (he need not think of The Material Girl Incident), and this is _definitely_ tame in comparison. However, the anxiousness of Hunk's tone implies he's leaving something out.

" _But_...?" Shiro prompts.

"But you kept calling out for one thing, and it made you very upset when they didn't show up," Keith answers bluntly but gently. "Who or what is 'haha-ue?'"

Oh.

 _Oh._

Shiro _would_ desire her presence while ill and confused, wouldn't he. It doesn't matter that she's been dead for almost ten years, because she was who he associated with _care_ during times like this. He can't decide if he should be happy he still retains such a strong connection to his late mother or embarrassed that he, the _Black Paladin_ , had been heard crying for Mommy by his entire team.

... No, he's not embarrassed. As much as he hates appearing as anything less than a pillar of strength to the others, he knows he had no control over whatever his fever made him see. If he has to guess, there was a time when he was six where he got a terrible fever and ended up missing school for a whole week. He most likely relived some part of that. While not enjoyable, it's better that it made him relive _that_ and not anything major from his year with the Galra, because he _knows_ there were times back then he'd become sick.

Besides, his team would never mock him for wanting his mother, not when many of them miss their own families (their _own_ mothers) and completely understand what he's feeling.

He's silent for a moment too long and going off their countenances, everyone's starting to think they touched a nerve.

"Look, forget Keith," Pidge finally says. "You don't have to-"

"Pidge, it's fine," he insists in a soft voice. " _Haha-ue_ is a formal Japanese way of saying 'mother'- I was calling out for my mom. She was the one who always took care of me when I was sick as a kid." He frowns, debating whether or not to continue. "... She died when I was sixteen. I guess that's why I got so upset. Even delirious I must've remembered she can't take care of me anymore."

And accepting that was hard enough the first time around. Ayame Shirogane had been the center of their family's world, and losing her ended up dividing them in ways that could never be mended. He sometimes wonders how being told he was dead damaged them further- had he hurt his father, his stepmother Mikiko, his grandparents, his cousins, Ryou-?

Okay, maybe not Ryou. Whole other pile of regrets there, and he has a team to reassure. He can contemplate that when he's alone.

His statement gets a variety of reactions from everyone. Allura gives Shiro a sympathetic look, Hunk appears to be keeping himself from bear-hugging him, Lance looks lost, and Pidge crosses her arms and bites her lip. Keith, meanwhile, looks uncomfortable. The teen never knew his own mother himself and Shiro never really discussed his family with him in all the years they've known each other. Shiro almost apologizes, but Keith puts a hand on the older man's shoulder to indicate it's okay.

"Shiro, I'm so sorry," Allura says.

"Don't be, Princess. You had nothing to do with it. She got cancer and with that..." Shiro trails off. He shakes his head and flashes the group a tired smile. "She would have loved all of you."

"You think so?" Lance asks, perking up along with the others.

"I know so. She was an astronomer at the Garrison, that's how she met my dad. You guys are so passionate about what you do, and she loved people like that. She probably would have wanted to adopt all of you on the spot. You especially, Keith. She would have found you _adorable_."

Keith makes an undignified squawk and shoots Shiro his _SHIROWHY?_ face. Shiro smirks unapologetically as everyone else snickers. He isn't usually like this- he chalks it up to exhaustion and whatever medicine it is they're using on him.

"Would she have liked Voltron?" Hunk wonders between giggles.

"Oh, _definitely_ ," Shiro says with weak chuckle. "Maybe not the fighting-in-an-intergalactic-war part, but definitely the space travel and aliens part."

Hunk nods in agreement. "That part is pretty awesome."

Shiro chuckles again, and turns his gaze towards the top of his bunk. "...You know, haha-ue used to tell me that when I was baby, I would start crying and the only thing that would calm me down was seeing the night sky. She always believed I was meant to be out among the stars." He turns back to them. "Now that I'm here, traveling in space and flying the Black Lion... experiences with the Galra and space fevers not withstanding, I'm glad she was right. I'm glad I'm out here with all of you- thank you for taking care of me. It couldn't have been easy, but I'm grateful."

The paladins and princess all smile, touched by his words and his gratitude.

"We're glad she was right, too, Shiro. This team wouldn't be the same without you," Pidge says, discretely wiping the corner of her eye. "So while I'm thinking of it..."

Pidge moves to the front of the group and promptly punches Shiro in the left shoulder as hard as her tiny fists can manage. Shiro yelps, because Pidge is surprisingly strong for someone her size and it actually stings.

"Pidge, what the hell?!" Keith barks.

" _That's_ for almost _dying_ on us, you jerk!" the Green Paladin yells at her leader. "You've survived the Galra, man-eating lizards, and a space witch, only to get nigh-wasted by a _fever_? Hunk said it earlier, but I'm repeating it- don't _do_ that to us _ever_ again!"

There's a pause amongst the Castleship inhabitants.

"I'm with Pidge on this one!" Lance announces finally. "Not only are you our friend and leader, but I bet your mom would be pissed with us if you died on our watch. Do you _really_ want to subject us to a ghost mom's wrath? _Do you_?!"

Shiro is not sure how to respond to that.

"It's like a regular mom's wrath, but with more haunting!" Hunk adds. "I think we can all agree this ship has had enough haunting to last a lifetime, right?"

"I can't say much for ghosts, but if Earth mothers are anything like Altean mothers, then their wrath is truly a force to both respect and fear," Allura agrees. The mice all chitter, throwing their own two cents in if Allura's nodding means anything.

Shiro continues to stare at his friends with growing puzzlement. Keith, at last, taps the older man's forehead to get his attention and locks eyes with him, bearing a flat mien.

"The gist of it is 'don't get sick and scare us like this ever again or else,'" Keith supplies. "Seriously. Seeing you hurt after the fight on Zarkon's ship was bad enough. We need you here."

His eyes dare Shiro bring up the whole ' _I want you to lead Voltron'_ thing while at the same time begging him not to, but Keith has nothing to worry about. Shiro's perceptive enough know it would not go over well with the rest of the paladins, at least not right now. There will be a chance (hopefully) to discuss it later. In the mean time...

"I'll do my best," Shiro says. "I can't really guarantee anything, but I promise I'm not about to leave my only family out here high and dry. We all have a job to do and I want to see it through. Is that enough?"

If the group has any reaction to being referred to as Shiro's family, they do a remarkable job of not showing it. Then again, there's no real need for any reactions- they feel the same way.

"It'll do," Pidge confirms, sniffing a bit.

"If that's all, we best leave Shiro to get more rest," Allura says with a clap of her hands. "The fever may be gone, but he will need to remain in bed for at least one more quintant."

"Okay, Allura," Hunk responds. "I'm going to head up to the kitchen and get some dinner started."

At the mention of dinner, Shiro's stomach growls and everyone turns to stare at him. His cheeks take the slightest pink hue in embarrassment. Now that's it been brought to his attention, Shiro notices he's very hungry.

"I'll bring you some food goo, Shiro," Hunk tells him, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we forgot you've been out for awhile and haven't eaten since that breakfast."

"... How long was I out?" Shiro asks.

Hunk pauses, makes to act like he's going to respond, then bolts from the room.

"Hunk!" Shiro calls after him. He tries to sit up and glares at the others. "How long was I out?!"

Pidge and Lance share a glance from each other's side before taking Hunk's lead and dashing out the door.

Shiro looks at Allura and Keith expectantly.

"... I'll go see if Coran needs any help," Allura says primly, speed-walking out of the room before anyone can stop her.

Shiro channels every ounce of Disapproving Dad/Leader he has within him at Keith, who folds like a bad card hand.

"Thanks to the fever and the medicine, you were unconscious for three days," he replies in one breath.

"THREE DAYS?!"

" _SorrygottagoseeyouShiro_!"

Keith rushes from Shiro's room, leaving the latter muttering curses to himself. He's been out of commission for _three whole days_. Anything could have happened in that time, and he wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing. What the quiznaking hell?!

... Shiro supposes this is why the others were reluctant to tell him.

He heaves a sigh and lays back down- he can chew them out later. He decides to take the time between now and Hunk's return with food to ruminate the impromptu bonding session he's just had.

He's never shared this much about himself to anyone before, not even to Keith. And in the grand scheme of things, it's so very small, because there's so much he _hasn't_ told them- and that's not counting everything _not_ family-related. (Everything _not_ family-related was a _vastly_ different conversation altogether.) All he's revealed is that he had a mother, she died, he loved her very much, and she would have loved them as well. It seems so insignificant, but at the same time so terribly _important_. It cements how close they've grown as a team and a family.

He meant everything he said- his mother would have loved them just as much as she loved him. Shiro also thinks she would have been proud of him for leading Team Voltron despite everything he's been through, and finding a family in all of them. He thinks his father and everyone else would as well, if they knew.

Shiro closes his eyes and frowns.

He misses his family back on Earth, but there they're safe. Shiro can't afford to let himself be distracted by them when he needs to focus on the loved one he has in space, who are under the more immediate threat of Zarkon and the Galra.

He can't let himself focus on his Earth family when there's a very real possibility, if this illness proves anything...

 _No, this was proven back on the rock planet with Keith. Haggar's wound would have killed him, he's sure of it._

... that he may never see them again anyway.

 _... that he may have to break his promise to Pidge, Lance, Hunk, and Keith._

 _ **My Paladin**._

Shiro smiles as the familiar presence of the Black Lion, old and strong and as vast the universe itself, settles in his mind.

 _ **Rest, My Paladin. All is well.**_

He'll stay with his team, for as long as he can.

 _ **Rest.**_

Shiro does.

* * *

 **Whew, got this done. I finished this when I should have been working on homework, but whatever. Be sure to read, review, and all that. If you find errors, tell me because I always manage to miss some when I proofread. Look below for story notes! More headcanons ahead!**

 **1.)** I headcanon that you enter the Garrison Academy at age sixteen, and it's a four year program. (I imagine Pidge tested in early due to being so smart.) One of the reasons Shiro's a legend is because he managed to graduate in only two and a half years. His mother died not long after he started classes. He nearly left but he stuck with it because he knew how she supported his dream. (I imagine he met Keith- who I headcanon as seventeen/eighteen- when the latter was fourteen/fifteen and hung out with him before helping him get into the Garrison.)

 **2.)** I named his mom Ayame because I read somewhere that, depending on how its written, it can mean either "iris" or "death."

 **3.)** Ayame's death was ONE of the reasons behind Shiro and Ryou's "big fight", but not the main.

 **4.)** Shiro's dad remarried when he was eighteen. He loves his stepmother almost as much as his real mother.

 **5.)** This one-shot takes place in a limbo space in season 2. Couple possibly happen at any time during the season, could not.

 **6.)** I have Shiro call his mother Haha-ue because he seems like the type. His calls his father Chichi-ue.

 **7.)** Shiro does have a twin brother named Ryou in GoLion, so I put him in here. I talk about him a little more in 10 Truths About Shiro.

 **8.)** The fever dream was originally longer, with a scene showing Shiro getting sick in middle school and getting help from Ryou, but I cut it because I felt it detracted too much from the story.

 **9.)** The title is Japanese for "delirium."

 **10.)** If you feel sad/gut-punched by the end of this, then I did my job :)


End file.
